The moment the order was given, Macragge's entire military machine sprang into action with astonishing efficiency.
Just a few minutes later, Ultramar Auxilia armored personnel carriers roared in, and disciplined soldiers in blue armor poured into Sirocco Starport like a tide. Their quality was exceptionally high; there was no panic whatsoever.
Under the command of their respective officers, they used textbook tactical maneuvers to completely control all entrances, exits, and critical passages of the starport in the shortest possible time.
Some 'nobles' and 'servants' with ulterior motives, who tried to resist or escape amidst the chaos, were ruthlessly suppressed on the spot. Laser beams precisely burned through their skulls, swiftly quashing any signs of unrest with an iron fist.
The chaotic crowd trembled under the gunfire and the soldiers' shouts, and Cato Sicarius stepped forward at this moment. His booming voice, amplified by his power armor's vocoder, clearly echoed throughout the entire starport hall: "Citizens and guests of Macragge, please remain calm! In the name of the Emperor and the Primarch, I, Ultramarines Sergeant Cato Sicarius, assure you that we have the situation under control."
"The starport has been infiltrated by vile xenos. For everyone's safety, we will implement a temporary, complete lockdown and strict screening. This is a necessary measure; innocent individuals need not fear for their lives. Please cooperate with the Auxilia's instructions, and we will soon root out the xenos scum among you!"
Under the iron-fisted control of the Ultramar Auxilia and the personal reassurance of the space marines captain, the initially agitated and panicked civilian emotions miraculously began to stabilize. Fear still lingered, but order was being restored, paving the way for the upcoming screening work.
The screening process then unfolded in an efficient and manner. Hundreds of thousands of civilians were divided into over a hundred small squares by the Auxilia and ordered to remain quietly in place.
Subsequently, soldiers led them away from the squares, one by one, in family or team units, to a temporarily established screening area. The screening criteria were simple and crude: remove all headwear.
If someone was bald, regardless of gender, age, or youth, they were immediately separated and controlled, awaiting more precise genetic testing. If the scalp showed that eerie pale purple, no extra words were needed; an immediate execution by firing squad was carried out.
Meanwhile, the Helldivers brought by Robert were not idle. He dispatched the entire elite squad, letting them mingle among the Auxilia's ranks. Sicarius, who had been standing next to Robert, fulfilling his duty of protecting him, soon discovered the peculiar nature of these Helldivers.
The Ultramar Auxilia's screening involved taking people away one by one, according to a predetermined sequence. While this approach was reliable, its efficiency was relatively low. Sicarius also understood that under such circumstances, he absolutely could not publicly demand that "all bald people step forward"; that would not only cause an immediate riot among an unknown number of xenos spies, leading to bloodshed in the starport, but also plunge those innocent bald civilians, who were not involved, into extreme panic, destroying the fragile stability that had just been maintained.
But the Helldivers were completely different. They seemed to possess an insight that surpassed mortal senses, always able to precisely point out specific individuals from the crowd. T
hey didn't need to follow a sequence; they simply moved through the crowd, pointing at someone with a finger or a weapon. And as long as someone was pointed out by them, after being taken away and screened, they were almost 100% genestealers. Their efficiency was unsettlingly high.
Sicarius couldn't help but whisper to Robert beside him, "Governor Robert, your guard… how do they do that? If this method could be widely adopted, our screening efficiency would increase tenfold!"
However, Robert merely shook his head, indicating that he couldn't explain it either, as if it were an innate instinct of the Helldivers.
A flicker of thought crossed Sicarius' eyes; truly a tactical master of the Ultramarines, he immediately came up with a compromise.
Not long after, heavy footsteps accompanied by a slight tremor of the ground came from the starport's main aisle. Marneus Calgar personally led the Chapter's First Company Terminator Guard, arriving on the scene like a moving steel bulwark.
When Calgar arrived with the First Company, he witnessed a strange scene: the Helldivers, clad in black carapaces and wearing gas masks, were scattered outside the small squares formed by the civilians.
They didn't even need to speak; they just raised a hand to point, and the next second, several Ultramar Auxilia soldiers pounced into the crowd like hounds, precisely dragging out the people they had identified.
The entire process was efficient, , and perfectly coordinated. At first glance, it seemed as if these mysterious black-clad soldiers were the officers of the Auxilia.
And when Robert saw Calgar and the behemoths in their tactical dreadnought armor behind him, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, "Holy moly, Sweet Jesus! Terminators! So cool!"
Sicarius strode forward and gave Calgar a standard aquila salute: "Chapter Master!"
Calgar's massive power fist moved slightly, and he asked succinctly, "What's the situation? Who are the enemies?"
"The situation is initially under control, xenos spies are being efficiently rooted out, and soon Sirocco Starport will return to normal. After that, there will be a comprehensive screening of all of Macragge," Sicarius reported. "The enemies have obvious differences in appearance from normal humans; their characteristics are a lack of hair and purple skin on their heads. However, their combat power is not superior; the Auxilia can handle them."
Upon hearing this, Calgar's tense face relaxed slightly: "Very good, Sicarius, you've rendered a great service this time."
Sicarius, however, honestly shook his head, his voice beneath the helmet showing no hint of claiming credit: "In fact, I did not discover the xenos infiltration, Chapter Master. It was Governor Robert who truly found them."
"Oh?" Calgar's gaze shifted to Robert, who appeared exceptionally small in comparison to the Terminator squad. "If that is the case, the Ultramarines owe you of Perditia a favor. Otherwise, I dare not imagine what the outcome would have been if these xenos had revolted and destroyed Sirocco Starport while we were locked in fierce combat with the Tyranid Swarm."
Robert said, "I merely did my duty. Debts of favor can be settled later; the pressing issue now is to fight the xenos."
"You're right," this statement clearly pleased Calgar, who nodded and again cast his gaze upon the peculiar screening scene. "But I have a question: why are the Helldivers doing the identifying, and the Auxilia responsible for the arrests?"
"It's not random, Chapter Master," Sicarius immediately answered the question. "The Helldivers can clearly distinguish between spies and innocent civilians."
"Is that so..." Calgar carefully observed the identified individuals, realizing that even with his superhuman senses, he had to wait until their headwear or wigs were removed to notice any abnormalities.
He did not press for the explanation like Sicarius, but merely noted this surprise in his mind. Then he nodded to Robert, saying, "Thank you again for the Helldivers' assistance. My apologies, Governor Robert, I was too busy with official duties to personally greet you earlier, so I only sent Sicarius."
"I am already very satisfied to meet Sicarius," Robert said with a smile. "Not to mention now I can also meet Chapter Master Calgar and the legendary Terminator Guard. I imagine many people might never even meet a single space marine in their entire lives."
He changed the subject, with a hint of well-placed anticipation: "However, I have one more small request..."
Calgar almost instinctively said, "An autographed Codex Astartes?"
"Uh, yes." Robert nodded with a slight surprise. "If possible, do you happen to know an Ultramarines named Titus? I'd like his autograph too."
"Such a small matter, no need to say more!" Calgar waved his massive power fist, his tone carrying a hint of hearty generosity. At the same time, he pondered, it seems the Helldivers forces of Perditia, from top to bottom, really like autographs.
Especially from Ultramarines...